1st Operations Group
Encyclopedia
The 1st Operations Group (1 OG) is the flying component of the 1st Fighter Wing
, assigned to the USAF Air Combat Command
. The group is stationed at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia
. The 1st Operations Group is the oldest major air combat unit in the United States Air Force
, being a successor organization of the 1st Pursuit Group. The 1st PG was the first air combat group formed by the Air Service, American Expeditionary Force
, on 5 May 1918.
The Group was first organized at Gengault Aerodrome
, near Toul
, France, as a result of the United States entry into World War I
. As the 1st Pursuit Group it saw combat on the Western Front
in France, and as the 1st Fighter Group combat in the European Theatre of World War II
. Pilots of the 1st Group are credited by the USAF with destroying 554.33 aircraft and 50 balloons, and 36 pilots are recognized as being aces
.
The pilots of the 1st Group included Captain Eddie Rickenbacker
, credited as the top scoring ace
in France during World War I. During World War II, the 1st FG was among the first groups deployed overseas in the summer of 1942. The group flew missions in England as part of the Eighth Air Force
, then was transferred to North Africa in November 1942. It experienced significant combat as part of the Twelfth Air Force, moved to Italy, and became part of the fighter force of the Fifteenth Air Force
. The 1st FG hosted the first operational U.S. jet fighter, the P-80A Shooting Star, in 1946.
Inactivated in 1961, after 30 years the 1st Operations Group was activated on 1 October 1991, as a result of the 1st Fighter Wing implementing the USAF objective wing organization. Upon activation, the 1st OG was bestowed the lineage and history of the 1st Fighter Group. In 2005, the 1st OG was the first operational combat unit to receive the F-22A Raptor, a fifth generation fighter aircraft
that uses stealth technology
.
and twoF-22A Raptor air dominance squadrons and an operations support squadron. The group's flying squadrons maintain 45 primary assigned F-15 and 21 F-22 air superiority fighter aircraft.
The group is responsible for 300 people, $3 billion in resources, and more than 18,000 flight hours annually.
In addition to carrying out local training requirements, the group deploys personnel and equipment on a regular basis to support Air Expeditionally operations worldwide as part of the Global War on Terrorism.
Source:
Note: The Air Defense Command 575th Air Base (later Air Defense) Group
assumed control Selfridge AFB, 7 Feb 1952. Unit was inactivated, redesignated and reactivated as 1st Fighter Group (Air Defense) 18 Aug 1955 as part of "Project Arrow", an ADC program to reactivate historic units.
Source:
Source:
(AEF) were dispersed among the various army organizations. This made it difficult, however, to obtain coordination of aerial activities. Some higher organization was required.
On 16 January 1918, Brig. General Benjamin D. Foulois
, Chief of Air Service, AEF, assigned Major Bert M. Atkinson to command of the 1st Pursuit Organization Center, a temporary administrative and training organization for arriving U.S. pursuit squadrons. The 94th
and 95th Aero Squadrons were the first to be assigned, beginning combat in March.
On 5 May 1918, the AEF redesignated the 1st Pursuit Organization Center at Gengoult Aerodrome
, Toul
, France, as the 1st Pursuit Group, the first American group-level fighter establishment (the 1st Corps Observation Group, organized in April 1918, was the first U.S. group). Major Atkinson became the 1st Pursuit Group's first commanding officer, followed by Major Harold E. Hartney on 21 August 1918. The 27th
and 147th Aero Squadron
s were assigned to the group on 1 June, and the 185th Aero Squadron, a night pursuit
unit, in October.
The 1st Pursuit Group was equipped with Nieuport 28
s, Spad XIIIs and Sopwith Camel
s. It is while in Saints
that Theodore Roosevelt's youngest son Quentin Roosevelt
, flying with the 95th Aero Squadron, was shot down and killed on 14 July 1918. The group upgraded from Nieuport 28s to Spad XIIIs while it was in Saints
. Unfortunately, the American mechanics were unused to the V-8 engines of the Spads and so availability of the Spads suffered for the first few weeks after the changeover. From May until the 11 November armistice, the Group recorded 1,413 aerial engagements, accumulating 151.83 confirmed kills on enemy aircraft, and 50 confirmed balloon victories. Nineteen of its pilots—five from each squadron except the 27th—were recognized as "ace
s". For its participation, the 1st received seven campaign streamer
s. Two of the four pilots earning the Medal of Honor
for actions during World War I were members of the 1st Pursuit Group: 2Lt Frank Luke
Jr. and 1Lt. Edward V. "Eddie" Rickenbacker
.
The 1st Pursuit Group was based at Toul (5 May 1918), Touquin
(28 June 1918), Saints
(9 July 1918), Rembercourt
(1 September 1918), and Colombey-les-Belles
, France (9 – 24 December 1918).
Aces of the 1st Pursuit Group
SOURCES: Air Force Historical Study 73: A Preliminary List of USAF Aces 1917–1953, and Air Force Historical Study 133: US Air Service Victory Credits, World War I.
, Michigan
, and became an official part of the Air Service on 22 August 1919, consisting of the 27th
, 94th, 95th and 147th Aero Squadrons, and the 2nd Air Park. The new 1st Pursuit Group, as part of the U.S. Eighth Corps moved to Kelly Field, Texas, on 31 August 1919, and Ellington Field, Texas, on 30 June 1921. There the 94th Aero Squadron operated the Pursuit Training School. The 1st Pursuit Group returned to Selfridge on 14 June 1922, as part of the U.S. Sixth Corps
, where it remained until World War II.
The designation of the aero squadrons was changed to "pursuit" on 15 March 1921, and the 147th Squadron became the 17th Pursuit Squadron on 31 March. The 2nd Air Park was re-named the 57th Service Squadron on 2 January 1923. In 1924 the original 1st Pursuit Group was re-constituted on paper and consolidated with the active group formed in 1919. Two squadrons were transferred from the group, the 95th (1927) and the 17th (1940), replaced on 1 January 1941, by the 71st Pursuit Squadron
. The 27th, 71st, and 94th Squadrons became the permanently assigned components of the group and wing. In December 1939 the group was re-designated 1st Pursuit Group (Interceptor), and in May 1941, 1st Pursuit Group (Fighter).
During the 1920s the group conducted pursuit training, tested new aircraft, participated in maneuvers and mobilization
tests, conducted annual cold weather testing, gave demonstrations for other units, participated in civil airport dedications, and competed in the National Air Races
each autumn. In 1922 Selfridge hosted the event. Captain Burt E. Skeel
, commander of the 27th Pursuit Squadron, was killed 4 October 1924, in the crash of a Verville-Sperry R-3 Racer at Wright Field
, Dayton
, Ohio, at the start of Pulitzer Trophy event of the 1924 Races.
The group changed aircraft frequently during its service between wars, as new types were developed and older models became outdated. It began its service flying Curtiss JNS
, SE-5
, and Fokker D.7
fighters left over from the First World War. From 1922 to 1925 it operated primarily MB-3A fighters. In 1925 it acquired Curtiss PW-8s for use by the 17th Pursuit Squadron, in 1926 Curtiss P-1 Hawks (a derivative of the PW-8), and in 1929 Boeing P-12
s. Throughout this period each squadron often operated a different fighter type from the others.
Winter flying was conducted each February at Camp Skeel at Oscoda
, Michigan, although in January 1927 the group instead sent a detachment to Ottawa
, Ontario; in January 1929 conducted a lengthy search and rescue operation for a missing person in Petoskey
, Michigan; and in January 1930 flew a squadron to Spokane
, Washington and back by way of North Dakota
and Montana
. Temperatures during the Petoskey rescue reached −30 °F, disabling the aircraft engines. A local cement company extended a steam
hose to thaw engine oil and other components, enabling the aircraft to operate.
The use of airpower demonstrations and participation in the dedication of civil airports to publicize the Air Corps reached its peak in 1929, when units of the 1st Pursuit Group participated in 24 airport dedications and 8 demonstrations. It garnered favorable publicity in other ways, however, using bombs to break up an ice jam on the Clinton River
on 24 February 1925, and escorting Charles Lindbergh
to Canada in 1927.
On 21 January 1924, the Adjutant General
approved the 1st Pursuit Group's emblem, designed with the unit's history as its basis. The green and black colors represent the colors of the Army Air Service, the five stripes signify the original five flying squadrons, and the five crosses symbolized the five major World War I campaigns credited to the group. A crest above the shield bore the Group's Latin motto "Aut Vincere Aut Mori", translated: Conquer or Die. In 1957, the emblem was revised, with the crest was removed and the motto placed in a scroll beneath the shield, now assigned to the 1st Tactical Fighter Wing.
Resistance by the Coolidge
administration to implementation of the plan for economic reasons, followed by the onset of the Great Depression
severely limited the expansion. The 1st Group experienced restriction on its training operations and curtailment of personnel salaries. Officers were detached for duty with the Civilian Conservation Corps
at varied intervals. However the Air Corps was able to expand from 6 to 14 groups in its first decade of existence, half of which were new pursuit groups. The 1st Pursuit Group trained individual squadrons at Selfridge and provided experienced cadres to the formation of these groups.
From February to June 1934 the 1st Pursuit Group delivered the mail in the north central United States under an executive order of President Franklin Roosevelt (see Air Mail scandal
). Original orders called for 35 pilots and 16 aircraft to be detached for mail service, but the Curtiss P-6 Hawk and Boeing P-12
fighters detailed had insufficient cargo capacity potential. Ultimately 56 pilots were listed in group records as detached for mail service, and approximately half the group's 70 aircraft were involved. Six were involved in crashes in the first week, struggling through severe winter weather in Ohio
, including one fatality on the first day. Altogether twelve aircraft were lost in eleven crashes, with one pilot and one enlisted man killed, and four pilots and one mechanic injured.
On 1 March 1935, all operational flying units, previously assigned to corps-level ground commands, were consolidated under a new centralized air force command named General Headquarters, Air Force. GHQ Air Force was divided into three wings, and the 1st Pursuit Group became part of the 2nd Wing.
In 1937 the group received its first enclosed cockpit, monoplane
fighter with retractable landing gear, the Seversky P-35
. The P-35 was obsolete from the beginning of its operational history and replacement by the Republic P-43 Lancer began in 1940. This fighter too was unsuitable for modern combat, and preparations for the possibility of U.S. participation in the Second World War introduced the 1st Pursuit Group to the new P-38 Lightning
in July 1941, with the 27th Pursuit Squadron
receiving the first operational aircraft in the Army Air Force's inventory.
On the date the United States entered World War II the 94th Pursuit Squadron was in El Paso
, Texas, its 20 P-38s en route from Selfridge Field to March Field, California. The 27th and 71st squadrons were immediately sent with an additional 12 P-38s and 24 P-43 fighters to March Field to provide the West Coast air defense against Japanese attack.
During its brief duty at March Field the Group provided cadre for newly-mobilized fighter groups, losing over half of its assigned officers and enlisted men, but still made preparations for deployment to Europe on 25 April 1942. Before its departure, however, retired captain Eddie Rickenbacker made the first of several visits to the group both at home and abroad during World War II, listened to the Group’s concerns and reported them to General "Hap" Arnold
. Rickenbacker also worked with Arnold to reinstate the hat-in-the ring emblem, absent since Rickenbacker himself claimed the right to it when he retired, back to the 94th Fighter Squadron.
In 1942, U.S. war policy placed first priority with the war in Europe. VIII Fighter Command
Special Orders 46, dated 25 June 1942, deployed 86 aircraft and pilots of the newly designated 1st Fighter Group to England as part of Operation Bolero
, with the first aircraft departing on 27 June. Flights of P-38s were led by individual B-17s from the 97th Bomb Group navigating the route between Presque Isle
, Maine, Labrador
, Greenland
and Iceland. En route the 27th Fighter Squadron was detached at "Indigo" airfield, Reykjavík
, Iceland, for air defense duty in July and August. On 15 July 1942, six fighters from the 94th FS, "Tomcat Yellow" and "Tomcat Green", and their two B-17 escorts were forced by bad weather and low fuel to land on a glacier
in Greenland. The crews were all recovered safely but the aircraft were abandoned.
Group headquarters and the 71st Fighter Squadron were based at RAF Goxill, near Kingston upon Hull
, and the 94th FS at Kirton in Lindsey
. The 27th flew to England on 27 August after the group had moved south to Ibsley, and was based at High Ercall
. During the late summer of 1942, the 1st FG flew training, escort and fighter sweeps over German-occupied France
. The group experienced its first combat loss on 2 October 1942, when a P-38F escorting B-17 Flying Fortress bombers on a mission to Méaulte
, France, was shot down by a German fighter of JG 26 near Calais
, and 2nd Lt. William H. Young was killed in action
.
The fighter and bomber groups initially deployed to England (97th and 301st Bomb Groups, and 1st, 14th, 31st, and 52nd Fighter Groups) were re-assigned to support Operation Torch
and redeployed to North Africa. While in transit, two 94th FS Lightnings were forced by mechanical difficulties to land in neutral
Portugal
, where the aircraft were confiscated and the pilots interned
. However 1st Lt. Jack Ilfrey escaped, returned to the group, and became one of its leading aces. 1st Lt. Robert N. Chenoweth was killed when his P-38, on a ferry flight from the UK to North Africa, crashed into a mountain at Ortigueira
, Corunna, Spain, on 15 November 1942. By 13 November 1942, the group completed the move to Algeria, where they provided close air support and fighter protection against the Afrika Korps
.
On 29 November 1942, the 94th Fighter Squadron
flew the group's first combat sorties in the Mediterranean theater, strafing a German airfield and recording several aerial victories. However, as the year came to a close, the group's morale sagged. Though the move from England to the desert environment added sometimes 200–300 hours to the life of the liquid-cooled Allisons, few replacement parts and virtually no replacement aircraft were available. Col. Clifford R. Silliman, in charge of Lightning maintenance and repairs for the 1st, 12th and 14th fighter groups, recalled that no hangars, machine shops or service bays were available, forcing ground crews to make repairs in the open air. Crewmen were exposed not only to attack but to virtually incessant blowing sand and dust that continually fouled filters, breathers and lubricants. The searing sun was so intense that mechanics were unable to as much as touch the aluminum surfaces of the fuselage, wings and cowlings with exposed skin, Silliman said. The grating sand found its way not only into engine components and weapons but crewmens' bedding, footwear, clothing, hair, eyes and even their teeth. Pilots recorded some kills, but the loss ratio in air-to-air combat was even at best. For nearly a year, the group moved throughout Algeria and Tunisia, flying bomber escort and providing air coverage for the ground campaign. On 23 February 1943, the group began two days of low-level strafing missions in support of hard-pressed Allied troops at Kasserine Pass, losing several aircraft.
In April 1943 the Germans made several concerted attempts to reinforce the Afrika Korps using Ju 52 transports flown at wavetop level over the Mediterranean Sea
, resulting in a series of interceptions by Allied aircraft and large numbers of transports destroyed. On 5 April, pilots of the 27th FS shot down 11, plus four Ju 87 Stukas and two Me 109 escorts, losing two Lightnings. On 10 April, the 71st FS intercepted another large force escorted by 15 Macchi 200 and Fw 190 fighters, shooting down 20 transports and 8 of the escorts without loss to itself. The North African campaign ended with the capture of Tunis
on 7 May 1943.
In 1943 the squadrons of the 1st Fighter Group began to apply distinctive colors to their tailbooms, wingtips and propeller tips for rapid unit identification. This was in addition to the fuselage letter codes assigned to the group by the Eighth Air Force which it continued to use when reassigned to the Twelfth Air Force in November 1942. The 27th FS used red (squadron code HV, radio callsign PETDOG), the 71st FS used white (squadron code LM, callsign CRAGMORE), and the 94th FS used yellow (squadron code UN, callsign SPRINGCAP). When the group began receiving P-38s in an unpainted aluminium finish in the spring of 1944, the 71st changed its color to black. Red spinners were also introduced sometime in 1944 to the entire group. During the time of the North Africa invasion, the national insignia
was outlined in yellow, replaced by a star-and-bar outlined in red in early 1943. From May 1943 on the standard star-and-bar national insignia was used.
. On 25 August, the 1st FG launched 65 P-38s, and joined with 85 other fighters, conducted a fighter-bomber attack against the airfield complex at Foggia
. In addition to strafing ground targets, pilots of the 1st FG damaged or destroyed 88 German aircraft, with a loss of two P-38s. For this mission, the group received its first Distinguished Unit Citation (DUC). Five days later, on 30 August, the 1st Fighter Group earned its second DUC. The group flew 44 aircraft in escorting B-26
bombers to the railroad marshalling yards at Aversa
, Italy, and were opposed by approximately 75–100 German fighters. Outnumbered two to one, the group engaged the Luftwaffe
for 40 minutes, enabling the bombers to strike their target and return to base without loss, but in doing so lost 13 fighters themselves, with 10 pilots killed.
The 1st Fighter Group became part of the newly-created Fifteenth Air Force
in December 1943 and moved to Italy, temporarily based at several airfields until its base at Salsola Airfield was ready on 8 January 1944. Living and supply conditions improved for the airmen, who received new P-38Js in the spring. On 16 April 1944, the group flew its 1,000th combat mission.
The 1st Fighter Group received its third DUC for an escort mission on 18 May 1944. Assigned to escort the force of 700 B-17 and B-24 bombers to the oil refineries at Ploieşti
, Romania, bad weather caused roughly half the bombers to abort the mission. The 1st Fighter Group continued through the heavy weather to support B-17s that continued to the target and engaged 80 Luftwaffe and Romanian fighters attacking the Flying Fortresses. The group's 48 P-38s shot down and damaged nearly 20 aircraft for a loss of one P-38, and drove off the rest.
The minimal effect of high altitude bombing raids on the Ploieşti refineries prompted Fifteenth Air Force planners on 10 June 1944, to lay on a low level dive bombing attack by 48 P-38s of the 82nd Fighter Group and 45 of 1st FG. Mechanical turnbacks reduced the force by 21 aircraft, nine from the 1st Group. En route to the target much of the 1st FG was separated from the main force by a navigational error. Part of the 71st Fighter Squadron observed and attacked 6 Dornier 217 bombers but underestimated the numbers of Romanian IAR 80
s escorting the bombers. Although six fighters and two bombers were credited as shot down, the 71st lost 9 Lightnings. When the 82nd FG arrived in the target area, along with the 27th Fighter Squadron and one flight of the 71st, they found the Ploieşti defense forces fully alert and a protective smoke screen concealing the targets. Flak shot down 7 P-38s during the attack, and 2 more were lost in strafing
attacks on the return to Italy. After the attack, the 27th Fighter Squadron engaged 30–40 Me 109s, claiming 4 destroyed, 2 probables, and 4 damaged, but lost 4 P-38s in the engagement. In all, the 1st Fighter Group had 14 P-38s shot down, its heaviest single day loss of the war, while claiming 18 kills, including five by a 71st pilot, 1st Lt. Herbert Hatch. The 82nd FG lost an additional 8 Lightnings.
From 10 to 21 August 1944, the 94th Fighter Squadron deployed sixty Lightnings to Aghione
, Corsica, providing air support for the Allied invasion of Southern France
. On an escort of a photo reconnaissance mission to Munich
on 26 November 1944, the group lost an aircraft and pilot to an Me 262 jet.
The group's last major operation of the war came between 16 January and 19 February 1945. Under Operation Argonaut, the 1st FG escorted British and American delegations to the Yalta Conference
, deploying 51 P-38's to protect the ships and aircraft carrying President Franklin D. Roosevelt
, Prime Minister Winston Churchill
, and their aides to and from the Crimea
. The group changed bases shortly after its return to combat operations, moving to Lesina
. There the 1st Fighter Group received two YP-80A jet fighters (serials 44-83028 and 44-83029) sent to the theater for operational testing ("Project Extraversion"). Although the jets were marked for combat operations with easily identifiable tail stripes and the letters 'A' and 'B' on their noses, and flown on two operational sorties by the 94th FS, neither saw combat before the end of the war.
On 15 April 1945, the 27th Fighter Squadron
, which had scored the 1st Fighter Group's first kill of the war, also recorded the group's last aerial victory of World War II, during a mission in which 5 Lightnings were shot down strafing German airfields, with 4 pilots killed. Its final combat losses occurred on 23 April 1945, when three aircraft were shot down and a pilot, Capt. Clarence I. Knapp, killed in action.
During nearly three years of combat flying, from 31 August 1942, to 6 May 1945, the 1st Fighter Group flew over 21,000 sorties on 1,405 combat missions.
) occurred 14 August 1942, by a 27th Fighter Squadron pilot, 2nd Lt. Elza E. Shahan, stationed in Iceland
, with the downing of an Fw 200C-3 Condor
, a credit shared with a P-40C pilot of the 33rd Fighter Squadron. The final victory occurred 15 April 1945, by 1st Lt. Warren E. Danielson, also of the 27th Fighter Squadron, shooting down an Fw 190 near Regensburg
.
The 1st Fighter Group had 402.5 claims credited for German aircraft destroyed in air-to-air combat recognized by U.S. Air Force Historical Study No. 85, with 17 pilots identified as aces. Among the various units of the 1st, the 27th Fighter Squadron had the most victories, with 83 pilots credited with 176.5 kills. The 94th Fighter Squadron was credited with 124 kills by 64 pilots and the 71st Fighter Squadron with 102 kills by 51 pilots.
The uneven distribution of kills among the squadrons is an apparent reflection of an unequal degree of contact with German fighter units after June 1944, almost all of which occurred in July 1944. Of the last 38 kills awarded to the 1st Fighter Group, 30 were by the 27th FS (24 in July, 2 in August 1944, and 4 in 1945). The 71st FS recorded only four, with the last occurring 21 October 1944, while the 94th recorded four in July 1944 and none thereafter.
Aces of the 1st Fighter Group
¹Scored two more victories with another group. ²Killed in action.
Source: Air Force Historical Study 85: USAF Credits for the Destruction of Enemy Aircraft, World War II. Lt. Shahan's kill is documented in Air Force Historical Study 105: Air Phase of the North African Invasion, November 1942, p. 34.
SOURCE: Maurer Mauer
Distinguished Unit Citation
The 1st Fighter Group was inactivated 16 October 1945. In the post-war reorganization of the Army Air Forces, the group was re-activated as a redesignation of the P-80 Shooting Star
-equipped 412th Fighter Group at March Field, California, on 3 July 1946.
The Air Force became an independent service on 18 September 1947, and the 1st Fighter Group part of the newly created 1st Fighter Wing
. (See 1st Fighter Wing
for command assignments.) During the summer of 1947, the Army Air Force issued the "Wing-Base" plan, creating a self-sufficient wing at each base. As a result, on 15 August 1947, the 1st Fighter Wing was activated at March Field, California, and the 1st Fighter Group was assigned as its combat group. Administrative, maintenance and support, and medical functions were the responsibility of separate support groups.
When the 1st Fighter Wing was re-equipped with F-86 fighters in 1949 the group was re-designated 1st Fighter-Interceptor Group. In January 1950, while stationed at George Air Force Base
, California, the 1st Group formed an aerial demonstration team, the "Sabre Dancers." The team, composed of five pilots of the 27th Fighter Squadron, flew their most distinguished show on 22 April 1950, at Eglin Air Force Base
, Florida, for an audience that included President Harry S Truman.
During the Korean War, the 1st Group served in an air defense role while the Wing's elements divided to provide defense for both coasts. The 1st FIG Headquarters, and the 27th and 71st Fighter Interceptor Squadrons were temporarily detached to the Eastern Air Defense Force, while the Wing headquarters and the 94th Fighter Interceptor Squadron were assigned as part the Western Air Defense Force. The group was inactivated on 6 February 1952, in a general reorganization of all air force units and its squadrons assigned directly to the wing.
On 18 August 1955, the group's designation was changed to 1st Fighter Group (Air Defense) and it was re-activated as part of the Air Defense Command. Equipped first with F-86 Sabre
fighters, the group transitioned to F-102 Delta Dagger
aircraft. It served as part of the 30th Air Division and the Detroit Air Defense Sector
, based at Selfridge Air Force Base, before being re-assigned as part of the 1st Fighter Wing and inactivated on 1 February 1961.
On 1 October 1991, the 1st Tactical Fighter Wing was redesignated 1st Fighter Wing and the 1st Fighter Group re-activated as the 1st Operations Group to control its F-15
and operations support squadrons at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia
.
On 15 March 1992, the 74th Air Control Squadron was transferred to the 1st Fighter Wing to provided command and control of air operations during deployments. On 1 February 1993, the 41st and 71st Rescue Squadrons, and the 741st Maintenance Squadron were also assigned to the 1st Fighter Wing. Stationed at Patrick AFB, Florida, the units provided search and rescue for NASA's space shuttle missions, and support of combat search and rescue operations in Southwest Asia. Additionally, C-21 operational support aircraft were assigned to the Wing on 1 April 1993, with the establishment of Detachment 1, 1st Operations Group. On 1 May, the detachment inactivated and the 12th Airlift Flight, with the same mission, activated.
On 14 June 1995, the 1st Rescue Group was activated as part of the 1st Fighter Wing and assumed operational control of the Search and Rescue organizations. On 1 April 1997, the 12th Airlift Flight was transferred to Air Mobility Command
, leaving the group tasked with only fighter and air control operations.
In 2003 the 27th and 94th FS began transition to the F-22 Raptor
, with the 94th FS reaching full operational status on 16 December 2005. Both the 27th FS and the 149th FS of the Virginia Air National Guard's 192nd Fighter Wing
(integrated with the 1st Fighter Wing in operating and maintaining the 1st FW's forty F-22's) were declared fully operational by Air Combat Command
on 15 December 2007.
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
Beginning in 1977, at least a dozen different groups attempted to locate and recover one of the eight aircraft abandoned on the Greenland ice cap after the forced landing of 15 July 1942. One of the B-17s was located and found to have been crushed by the glacial forces. A P-38 in restoreable condition was then located in 1988 approximately 268 feet below the surface. Efforts to bring it to the surface began in May 1992, culminating in the recovery in October 1992 of P-38F-1-LO 41-7630, last flown by 1st Lt. Harry L. Smith, Jr., 94th Fighter Squadron.
The P-38 was subsequently restored to flying condition over the next ten years, dubbed Glacier Girl
by its new owner, the Lost Squadron Museum, and flown on 26 October 2002. The P-38 (civil aviation number N17663) was stored at the museum's location in Middlesboro, Kentucky, until its sale to a private individual. A scale model
kit of Glacier Girl was released by Academy Plastic Model Co.
-Model Rectifier Corporation (Kit No. 12208) in July 2006.
1st Fighter Wing
The 1st Fighter Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Combat Command Ninth Air Force. It is stationed at Langley Air Force Base, Va...
, assigned to the USAF Air Combat Command
Air Combat Command
Air Combat Command is a major command of the United States Air Force. ACC is one of ten major commands , reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force ....
. The group is stationed at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. The 1st Operations Group is the oldest major air combat unit in the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
, being a successor organization of the 1st Pursuit Group. The 1st PG was the first air combat group formed by the Air Service, American Expeditionary Force
United States Army Air Service
The Air Service, United States Army was a forerunner of the United States Air Force during and after World War I. It was established as an independent but temporary wartime branch of the War Department by two executive orders of President Woodrow Wilson: on May 24, 1918, replacing the Aviation...
, on 5 May 1918.
The Group was first organized at Gengault Aerodrome
Toul-Rosieres Air Base
Toul-Rosières Air Base is a reserve French Air Force base. It is located in the Meurthe-et-Moselle département of France, 10 miles northeast of the city of Toul, on the west side of the Route nationale 411 Highway about one mile southeast of Rosières-en-Haye.Toul Air Base was used by American...
, near Toul
Toul
Toul is a commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in north-eastern France.It is a sub-prefecture of the department.-Geography:Toul is located between Commercy and Nancy, and situated between the Moselle River and the Canal de la Marne au Rhin....
, France, as a result of the United States entry into World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. As the 1st Pursuit Group it saw combat on the Western Front
Western Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
in France, and as the 1st Fighter Group combat in the European Theatre of World War II
European Theatre of World War II
The European Theatre of World War II was a huge area of heavy fighting across Europe from Germany's invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939 until the end of the war with the German unconditional surrender on May 8, 1945...
. Pilots of the 1st Group are credited by the USAF with destroying 554.33 aircraft and 50 balloons, and 36 pilots are recognized as being aces
Flying ace
A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down several enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The actual number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an "ace" has varied, but is usually considered to be five or more...
.
The pilots of the 1st Group included Captain Eddie Rickenbacker
Eddie Rickenbacker
Edward Vernon Rickenbacker was an American fighter ace in World War I and Medal of Honor recipient. He was also a race car driver and automotive designer, a government consultant in military matters and a pioneer in air transportation, particularly as the longtime head of Eastern Air Lines.-Early...
, credited as the top scoring ace
Flying ace
A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down several enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The actual number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an "ace" has varied, but is usually considered to be five or more...
in France during World War I. During World War II, the 1st FG was among the first groups deployed overseas in the summer of 1942. The group flew missions in England as part of the Eighth Air Force
Eighth Air Force
The Eighth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana....
, then was transferred to North Africa in November 1942. It experienced significant combat as part of the Twelfth Air Force, moved to Italy, and became part of the fighter force of the Fifteenth Air Force
Fifteenth Air Force
The Fifteenth Expeditionary Mobility Task Force is one of two EMTFs assigned to the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command . It is headquartered at Travis Air Force Base, California....
. The 1st FG hosted the first operational U.S. jet fighter, the P-80A Shooting Star, in 1946.
Inactivated in 1961, after 30 years the 1st Operations Group was activated on 1 October 1991, as a result of the 1st Fighter Wing implementing the USAF objective wing organization. Upon activation, the 1st OG was bestowed the lineage and history of the 1st Fighter Group. In 2005, the 1st OG was the first operational combat unit to receive the F-22A Raptor, a fifth generation fighter aircraft
Fifth generation jet fighter
A fifth-generation jet fighter is a fighter aircraft classification used in the United States encompassing the most advanced generation of fighter aircraft...
that uses stealth technology
Stealth technology
Stealth technology also termed LO technology is a sub-discipline of military tactics and passive electronic countermeasures, which cover a range of techniques used with personnel, aircraft, ships, submarines, and missiles, to make them less visible to radar, infrared, sonar and other detection...
.
Overview
The 1st Operations Group directs the training and employment of one F-15C/D EagleF-15 Eagle
The McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is a twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter designed by McDonnell Douglas to gain and maintain air superiority in aerial combat. It is considered among the most successful modern fighters with over 100 aerial combat victories with no losses in dogfights...
and twoF-22A Raptor air dominance squadrons and an operations support squadron. The group's flying squadrons maintain 45 primary assigned F-15 and 21 F-22 air superiority fighter aircraft.
The group is responsible for 300 people, $3 billion in resources, and more than 18,000 flight hours annually.
In addition to carrying out local training requirements, the group deploys personnel and equipment on a regular basis to support Air Expeditionally operations worldwide as part of the Global War on Terrorism.
Units
The 1st Operations Group consists of the following component squadrons:- 27th Fighter Squadron27th Fighter SquadronThe 27th Fighter Squadron ' is a United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the 1st Operations Group and stationed at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia....
(F-22A)
- The 27th FS is the oldest fighter squadron in the Air Force, being organized on 15 June 1917. The 27th FS is tasked to provide air superiority for United States or allied forces by engaging and destroying enemy forces, equipment, defenses or installations for global deployment.
- 71st Fighter Squadron71st Fighter SquadronThe 71st Fighter Squadron was a squadron of the United States Air Force, currently part of the 1st Operations Group of the 1st Fighter Wing, and stationed at Langley Air Force Base in Virginia. The squadron is equipped with the F-15C Eagle, the last squadron of the 1st Fighter Wing to fly the...
(F-15C/D)
- 71st Fighter Squadron
- A pre-World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
fighter squadron, constituted on 14 December 1940, its mission is to maintain a combat-ready force able to conduct air-superiority operations anywhere in the world for the United States and its allies. The 71st Fighter Squadron was deactivated at Langley AFB, VA on 30 Sept. 2010.- 94th Fighter Squadron94th Fighter SquadronThe 94th Fighter Squadron ' is a United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the 1st Operations Group and stationed at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia....
(F-22A)
- 94th Fighter Squadron
- The 94th FS is the second oldest fighter squadron in the Air Force, being organized on 20 August 1917. The 94th FS is tasked to provide air superiority for the United States or allied forces by engaging and destroying enemy forces, equipment, defenses or installations for global deployment.
- 1st Operations Support Squadron
- Responsible for all facets of airfield operations, or ops, air traffic control, weather, aircrew life support and training, intelligence analysis and support, weapons and tactics training, 1st FW battle staff operations, airspace scheduling, range ops and wing flying hour program for three fighter squadrons.
Lineage
- Organized as 1st Pursuit Group on 5 May 1918
- Demobilized on 24 Dec 1918
- Reconstituted and consolidated (1924) with the 1st Pursuit Group, which was organized on 22 Aug 1919.
- Redesignated: 1st Group (Pursuit) on 9 Mar 1921
- Redesignated: 1st Pursuit Group on 25 Jan 1923
- Redesignated: 1st Pursuit Group, Air Corps on 8 Aug 1926
- Redesignated: 1st Pursuit Group on 1 Sep 1936
- Redesignated: 1st Pursuit Group (Interceptor) on 6 Dec 1939
- Redesignated: 1st Pursuit Group (Fighter) on 12 Mar 1941
- Redesignated: 1st Fighter Group on 15 May 1942
- Inactivated on 16 Oct 1945
- Activated on 3 Jul 1946
- Redesignated 1st Fighter-Interceptor Group on 16 Apr 1950
- Inactivated on 6 Feb 1952
- Redesignated 1st Fighter Group (Air Defense) on 20 Jun 1955
- Activated on 18 Aug 1955, assuming assets of inactivated 575th Air Defense Group575th Air Defense GroupThe 575th Air Defense Group is a disbanded United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the 4708th Air Defense Wing, being stationed at Selfridge Air Force Base, Michigan. It was inactivated on 18 August 1955.-History:...
(Project Arrow) - Discontinued, and inactivated, on 1 Feb 1961
- Redesignated: 1st Tactical Fighter Group on 31 Jul 1985 (remained inactive)
- Redesignated: 1st Operations Group on 1 Oct 1991
- Activated on 1 Oct 1991.
Source:
Note: The Air Defense Command 575th Air Base (later Air Defense) Group
575th Air Defense Group
The 575th Air Defense Group is a disbanded United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the 4708th Air Defense Wing, being stationed at Selfridge Air Force Base, Michigan. It was inactivated on 18 August 1955.-History:...
assumed control Selfridge AFB, 7 Feb 1952. Unit was inactivated, redesignated and reactivated as 1st Fighter Group (Air Defense) 18 Aug 1955 as part of "Project Arrow", an ADC program to reactivate historic units.
Assignments
- Allied Expeditionary Forces, 5 May 1918
- 1 Pursuit Wing, 1 Army, 30 Aug – 24 Dec 1918
- Unknown, 22 Aug 1919–1935
- 2 Wing, 1 Mar 1935
- 6th Pursuit Wing, 16 Jan 1941
- I Bomber Command, 5 Sep 1941
- Fourth Air ForceFourth Air ForceThe Fourth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Reserve . It is headquartered at March Air Reserve Base, California....
, 9 Dec 1941
- Attached to IV Interceptor Command, 22 Dec 1941 – Jan 1942
- IV Interceptor Command, Jan 1942
- VIII Fighter CommandVIII Fighter CommandThe VIII Fighter Command is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the United States Air Forces in Europe, being stationed at RAF Honington, England. It was inactivated on 20 March 1946....
, 10 Jun 1942 - 6th Fighter Wing, 16 Aug 1942
- XII Fighter Command, 14 Sep 1942
- XII Bomber Command, 24 Dec 1942
- 7 Fighter (later, 47 Bombardment) Wing, 18 Feb 1943
- 5 Bombardment Wing, May 1943
- 2686 Medium Bombardment Wing (Provisional), 25 Jun 1943
- 42 Bombardment Wing42d Air DivisionThe 42d Air Division was a unit of the United States Air Force. It was established as the 42 Bombardment Wing on 8 February 1943. The wing first saw combat in September 1943. It was inactivated in 1991.-History:...
, 24 Aug 1943 - XII Bomber Command, 1 Sep 1943
- 42 Bombardment Wing, 1 Nov 1943
- 5 Bombardment Wing, Jan 1944
- 306 Bombardment Wing, 27 Mar 1944
- 305 Fighter Wing (Provisional), Sep 1944
- 305 Bombardment Wing, Jun–Oct 1945
- Twelfth Air Force, 3 Jul 1946
- 1 Fighter (later, 1 Fighter-Interceptor) Wing1st Fighter WingThe 1st Fighter Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Combat Command Ninth Air Force. It is stationed at Langley Air Force Base, Va...
, 15 Aug 1947 – 6 Feb 1952
- Attached to Eastern Air Defense ForceEastern Air Defense ForceThe Eastern Air Defense Force is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Air Defense Command being stationed at Stewart Air Force Base, New York. It was inactivated on July 1, 1960.-History:...
, 15 Aug 1950 – 3 Jun 1951- 4708th Air Defense Wing4708th Air Defense WingThe 4708th Air Defense Wing is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the 30th Air Division, being stationed at Selfridge Air Force Base, Michigan...
, 18 Aug 1955 - 30th Air Division, 8 Jul 1956
- 1 Fighter Wing, 18 Oct 1956 – 1 Feb 1961
- 1 Fighter Wing, 1 Oct 1991 – present
- 4708th Air Defense Wing
Source:
Stations
- ToulToulToul is a commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in north-eastern France.It is a sub-prefecture of the department.-Geography:Toul is located between Commercy and Nancy, and situated between the Moselle River and the Canal de la Marne au Rhin....
, France, 5 May 1918 - TouquinTouquinTouquin is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France.-References:*In one of his flights as a World War 1 flying ace, Snoopy flew over Touquin.-External links:* *...
, France, 28 Jun 1918 - SaintsSaints, Seine-et-MarneSaints is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France.-History:Saints appears on early maps as Sanz. It is an agricultural village perched above the Petit Aubetin River....
, France, 9 Jul 1918 - RembercourtRembercourt-SommaisneRembercourt-Sommaisne is a commune in the Meuse department in Lorraine in northeastern France.-Geography:The Chée forms part of the commune's southern border.The Aisne rises near Sommaisne, a hamlet in the northern part of the commune....
, France, c. 1 Sep 1918 - Colombey-les-BellesColombey-les-BellesColombey-les-Belles is a commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in north-eastern France.-Heraldry:-See also:*Communes of the Meurthe-et-Moselle department...
, France, c. 9–24 Dec 1918 - Selfridge FieldSelfridge FieldSelfridge Air National Guard Base or Selfridge ANGB is an Air National Guard installation located in Harrison Township, Michigan, near Mount Clemens.-Units and organizations:...
, MichiganMichiganMichigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, 22 Aug 1919 - Kelly Field, Texas, c. 31 Aug 1919
- Ellington FieldEllington FieldEllington International Airport is a joint civil-military airport located in the U.S. state of Texas within the city of Houston— southeast of Downtown. Established by the Army Air Service on 21 May 1917, Ellington Field was one of the initial World War I Army Air Service installations when...
, Texas 1 Jul 1921 - Selfridge FieldSelfridge FieldSelfridge Air National Guard Base or Selfridge ANGB is an Air National Guard installation located in Harrison Township, Michigan, near Mount Clemens.-Units and organizations:...
, MichiganMichiganMichigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, 1 Jul 1922 - San Diego NASNaval Air Station North IslandNaval Air Station North Island or NAS North Island is located at the north end of the Coronado peninsula on San Diego Bay and is the home port of several aircraft carriers of the United States Navy...
, California, 9 Dec 1941 - Los Angeles Airport, California, 1 Feb–May 1942
- RAF GoxhillRAF GoxhillRAF Goxhill is a former Royal Air Force and United States Army Air Force station in England. It is located just to the east of the village of Goxhill, on the south bank of the Humber estuary, opposite the city of Kingston upon Hull, in north Lincolnshire....
(USAAF Station 345), England, 10 Jun 1942 - RAF IbsleyRAF IbsleyRAF Station Ibsley is a former World War II airfield in Hampshire, England. The airfield is located near the village of Ibsley, approximately north of Ringwood; about southwest of London...
(USAAF Station 347) , England, 24 Aug 1942 - Tafaraoui Airfield, Algeria, 13 Nov 1942
- Nouvion AirfieldNouvion AirfieldNouvion Airfield was a pre-war airport and World War II military airfield in Algeria, located about 5 km west of Camp Militaire d' El Ghomri in Mascara province; about 76 km east of Oran.-History:...
, Algeria, 20 Nov 1942 - Biskra Airfield, Algeria, 14 Dec 1942
- Chateau-dun-du-Rhumel AirfieldChateau-dun-du-Rhumel AirfieldChateau-dun-du-Rhumel Airfield is an abandoned military airfield in Algeria, located about 6 km north-northwest of Chelghoum el Aid, in Mila province, about 47 km southwest of Constantine....
, Algeria, Feb 1943 - Mateur AirfieldMateur AirfieldMateur Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield in Tunisia, located approximately 4 km north-northwest of Mateur, 52 km northwest of Tunis It was used by the United States Army Air Force Twelfth Air Force during the Tunisian Campaign. It was a temporary airfield, built...
, Tunisia, 29 Jun 1943 - SardiniaSardiniaSardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . It is an autonomous region of Italy, and the nearest land masses are the French island of Corsica, the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Tunisia and the Spanish Balearic Islands.The name Sardinia is from the pre-Roman noun *sard[],...
, 31 Oct 1943 - Gioia del Colle Airfield, Italy, c. 8 Dec 1943
- Salsosa Airfield, Italy, 8 Jan 1944
- Vincenzo AirfieldFoggia Airfield ComplexThe Foggia Airfield Complex was a series of World War II military airfields located within a radius of Foggia, in the Province of Foggia, Italy...
, Italy, 8 Jan 1945 - Salsosa Airfield, Italy, 21 Feb 1945
- Lesina AirfieldFoggia Airfield ComplexThe Foggia Airfield Complex was a series of World War II military airfields located within a radius of Foggia, in the Province of Foggia, Italy...
, Italy, Mar-16 Oct 1945 - March Field (later, AFB), California, 3 Jul 1946
- George AFB, California, 18 Jul 1950
- Griffiss AFB, New York, 15 Aug 1950
- George AFB, California, 4 Jun 1951
- Norton AFB, California, 1 Dec 1951 – 6 Feb 1952
- Selfridge AFB, MichiganMichiganMichigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, 18 Aug 1955 – 1 Feb 1961 - Langley AFB, VirginiaVirginiaThe Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, 1 Oct 1991 – present
Source:
World War One
When first deployed to France, the Aero Squadrons of the American Expeditionary ForceAmerican Expeditionary Force
The American Expeditionary Forces or AEF were the United States Armed Forces sent to Europe in World War I. During the United States campaigns in World War I the AEF fought in France alongside British and French allied forces in the last year of the war, against Imperial German forces...
(AEF) were dispersed among the various army organizations. This made it difficult, however, to obtain coordination of aerial activities. Some higher organization was required.
On 16 January 1918, Brig. General Benjamin D. Foulois
Benjamin Foulois
Benjamin Delahauf Foulois , was a United States Army general who learned to fly the first military planes purchased from the Wright Brothers. He became the first military aviator as an airship pilot, and achieved numerous other military aviation "firsts"...
, Chief of Air Service, AEF, assigned Major Bert M. Atkinson to command of the 1st Pursuit Organization Center, a temporary administrative and training organization for arriving U.S. pursuit squadrons. The 94th
94th Fighter Squadron
The 94th Fighter Squadron ' is a United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the 1st Operations Group and stationed at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia....
and 95th Aero Squadrons were the first to be assigned, beginning combat in March.
On 5 May 1918, the AEF redesignated the 1st Pursuit Organization Center at Gengoult Aerodrome
Toul-Rosieres Air Base
Toul-Rosières Air Base is a reserve French Air Force base. It is located in the Meurthe-et-Moselle département of France, 10 miles northeast of the city of Toul, on the west side of the Route nationale 411 Highway about one mile southeast of Rosières-en-Haye.Toul Air Base was used by American...
, Toul
Toul
Toul is a commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in north-eastern France.It is a sub-prefecture of the department.-Geography:Toul is located between Commercy and Nancy, and situated between the Moselle River and the Canal de la Marne au Rhin....
, France, as the 1st Pursuit Group, the first American group-level fighter establishment (the 1st Corps Observation Group, organized in April 1918, was the first U.S. group). Major Atkinson became the 1st Pursuit Group's first commanding officer, followed by Major Harold E. Hartney on 21 August 1918. The 27th
27th Fighter Squadron
The 27th Fighter Squadron ' is a United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the 1st Operations Group and stationed at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia....
and 147th Aero Squadron
17th Weapons Squadron
The 17th Weapons Squadron is a United States Air Force unit, assigned to the USAF Weapons School at Nellis AFB, Nevada.The squadron traces its lineage to the United States Army Air Service 17th Aero Squadron. The 17th Aero Squadron was activated in August 1917 and earned 13 Campaign Streamers in...
s were assigned to the group on 1 June, and the 185th Aero Squadron, a night pursuit
Night fighter
A night fighter is a fighter aircraft adapted for use at night or in other times of bad visibility...
unit, in October.
The 1st Pursuit Group was equipped with Nieuport 28
Nieuport 28
|-See also:-Bibliography:* Cheesman E.F. Fighter Aircraft of the 1914-1918 War. Letchworth, UK: Harleyford Publications, 1960, pp. 98–99....
s, Spad XIIIs and Sopwith Camel
Sopwith Camel
The Sopwith Camel was a British First World War single-seat biplane fighter introduced on the Western Front in 1917. Manufactured by Sopwith Aviation Company, it had a short-coupled fuselage, heavy, powerful rotary engine, and concentrated fire from twin synchronized machine guns. Though difficult...
s. It is while in Saints
Saints, Seine-et-Marne
Saints is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France.-History:Saints appears on early maps as Sanz. It is an agricultural village perched above the Petit Aubetin River....
that Theodore Roosevelt's youngest son Quentin Roosevelt
Quentin Roosevelt
Quentin Roosevelt was the youngest and favorite son of President Theodore Roosevelt. Family and friends agreed that Quentin had many of his father's positive qualities and few of the negative ones. Inspired by his father and siblings, he joined the United States Army Air Service where he became a...
, flying with the 95th Aero Squadron, was shot down and killed on 14 July 1918. The group upgraded from Nieuport 28s to Spad XIIIs while it was in Saints
Saints, Seine-et-Marne
Saints is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France.-History:Saints appears on early maps as Sanz. It is an agricultural village perched above the Petit Aubetin River....
. Unfortunately, the American mechanics were unused to the V-8 engines of the Spads and so availability of the Spads suffered for the first few weeks after the changeover. From May until the 11 November armistice, the Group recorded 1,413 aerial engagements, accumulating 151.83 confirmed kills on enemy aircraft, and 50 confirmed balloon victories. Nineteen of its pilots—five from each squadron except the 27th—were recognized as "ace
Ace
An ace is a playing card. In the standard French deck, an ace has a single suit symbol located in the middle of the card, sometimes large and decorated, especially in the case of the Ace of Spades...
s". For its participation, the 1st received seven campaign streamer
Campaign streamer
Campaign streamers are decorations attached to military flags to recognize particular achievements or events of a military unit or service. Attached to the headpiece of the assigned flag, the streamer often is an inscribed ribbon with the name and date denoting participation in a particular battle,...
s. Two of the four pilots earning the Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
for actions during World War I were members of the 1st Pursuit Group: 2Lt Frank Luke
Frank Luke
Frank Luke Jr. was an American fighter ace, ranking second among U.S. Army Air Service pilots after Captain Eddie Rickenbacker in number of aerial victories during World War I . Frank Luke was the first airman to receive the Medal of Honor...
Jr. and 1Lt. Edward V. "Eddie" Rickenbacker
Eddie Rickenbacker
Edward Vernon Rickenbacker was an American fighter ace in World War I and Medal of Honor recipient. He was also a race car driver and automotive designer, a government consultant in military matters and a pioneer in air transportation, particularly as the longtime head of Eastern Air Lines.-Early...
.
The 1st Pursuit Group was based at Toul (5 May 1918), Touquin
Touquin
Touquin is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France.-References:*In one of his flights as a World War 1 flying ace, Snoopy flew over Touquin.-External links:* *...
(28 June 1918), Saints
Saints, Seine-et-Marne
Saints is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France.-History:Saints appears on early maps as Sanz. It is an agricultural village perched above the Petit Aubetin River....
(9 July 1918), Rembercourt
Rembercourt-Sommaisne
Rembercourt-Sommaisne is a commune in the Meuse department in Lorraine in northeastern France.-Geography:The Chée forms part of the commune's southern border.The Aisne rises near Sommaisne, a hamlet in the northern part of the commune....
(1 September 1918), and Colombey-les-Belles
Colombey-les-Belles
Colombey-les-Belles is a commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in north-eastern France.-Heraldry:-See also:*Communes of the Meurthe-et-Moselle department...
, France (9 – 24 December 1918).
Aces of the 1st Pursuit Group
| Pilot | Squadron | Airplanes | Balloons | Total |
| Capt. Edward V. Rickenbacker | 94th Aero Squadron | 22 | 4 | 26 |
| 2nt Lt. Frank Luke, Jr. | 27th Aero Squadron | 4 | 14 | 18 |
| Capt. James A. Meissner | 147th Aero Squadron | 7 | 1 | 8 |
| 2nd Lt. Wilbur W. White | 147th Aero Squadron | 7 | 1 | 8 |
| Capt. Hamilton Coolidge | 94th Aero Squadron | 5 | 3 | 8 |
| 1st Lt. Reed M. Chambers | 94th Aero Squadron | 6 | 1 | 7 |
| 1st Lt. Sumner Sewall | 95th Aero Squadron | 5 | 2 | 7 |
| 1st Lt. Harvey Weir Cook | 94th Aero Squadron | 3 | 4 | 7 |
| 1st Lt. Lansing C. Holden | 95th Aero Squadron | 2 | 5 | 7 |
| 1st Lt. Douglas Campbell | 94th Aero Squadron | 6 | 6 | |
| 1st Lt. Edward P. Curtiss | 95th Aero Squadron | 6 | 6 | |
| 2nd Lt. John K. McArthur | 27th Aero Squadron | 6 | 6 | |
| 2nd Lt. Kenneth L. Porter | 147th Aero Squadron | 6 | 6 | |
| 1st Lt. Jerry C. Vasconcelles | 27th Aero Squadron | 5 | 1 | 6 |
| 1st Lt. James Knowles | 95th Aero Squadron | 5 | 5 | |
| 1st Lt. James A. Healy | 147th Aero Squadron | 5 | 5 | |
| 2nd Lt. Ralph A. O'Neill | 147th Aero Squadron | 5 | 5 | |
| 1st Lt. Harold R. Buckley | 95th Aero Squadron | 4 | 1 | 5 |
| 1st Lt. Joseph F. Wehner | 27th Aero Squadron | 5 | 5 |
SOURCES: Air Force Historical Study 73: A Preliminary List of USAF Aces 1917–1953, and Air Force Historical Study 133: US Air Service Victory Credits, World War I.
Air Service duty
The end of World War I was followed immediately by a massive demobilization of the U.S. Army Air Service, both in reduction of personnel and dissolution of air units, including the 1st Pursuit Group, de-mobilized 24 December 1918. A new 1st Pursuit Group began to be formed on 10 June 1919, at Selfridge FieldSelfridge Field
Selfridge Air National Guard Base or Selfridge ANGB is an Air National Guard installation located in Harrison Township, Michigan, near Mount Clemens.-Units and organizations:...
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, and became an official part of the Air Service on 22 August 1919, consisting of the 27th
27th Fighter Squadron
The 27th Fighter Squadron ' is a United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the 1st Operations Group and stationed at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia....
, 94th, 95th and 147th Aero Squadrons, and the 2nd Air Park. The new 1st Pursuit Group, as part of the U.S. Eighth Corps moved to Kelly Field, Texas, on 31 August 1919, and Ellington Field, Texas, on 30 June 1921. There the 94th Aero Squadron operated the Pursuit Training School. The 1st Pursuit Group returned to Selfridge on 14 June 1922, as part of the U.S. Sixth Corps
U.S. VI Corps
The VI Corps was activated as VI Army Corps in August 1918 at Neufchâteau, France, serving in the Lorraine Campaign. Constituted in the Organized Reserves in 1921, it was allotted to the Regular Army in 1933 and activated on 1 August 1940 at Fort Sheridan, Illinois...
, where it remained until World War II.
The designation of the aero squadrons was changed to "pursuit" on 15 March 1921, and the 147th Squadron became the 17th Pursuit Squadron on 31 March. The 2nd Air Park was re-named the 57th Service Squadron on 2 January 1923. In 1924 the original 1st Pursuit Group was re-constituted on paper and consolidated with the active group formed in 1919. Two squadrons were transferred from the group, the 95th (1927) and the 17th (1940), replaced on 1 January 1941, by the 71st Pursuit Squadron
71st Fighter Squadron
The 71st Fighter Squadron was a squadron of the United States Air Force, currently part of the 1st Operations Group of the 1st Fighter Wing, and stationed at Langley Air Force Base in Virginia. The squadron is equipped with the F-15C Eagle, the last squadron of the 1st Fighter Wing to fly the...
. The 27th, 71st, and 94th Squadrons became the permanently assigned components of the group and wing. In December 1939 the group was re-designated 1st Pursuit Group (Interceptor), and in May 1941, 1st Pursuit Group (Fighter).
During the 1920s the group conducted pursuit training, tested new aircraft, participated in maneuvers and mobilization
Mobilization
Mobilization is the act of assembling and making both troops and supplies ready for war. The word mobilization was first used, in a military context, in order to describe the preparation of the Prussian army during the 1850s and 1860s. Mobilization theories and techniques have continuously changed...
tests, conducted annual cold weather testing, gave demonstrations for other units, participated in civil airport dedications, and competed in the National Air Races
National Air Races
The National Air Races were a series of pylon and cross-country races that took place in the United States from 1920 to 1949. The science of aviation, and the speed and reliability of aircraft and engines grew rapidly during this period; the National Air Races were both a proving ground and...
each autumn. In 1922 Selfridge hosted the event. Captain Burt E. Skeel
Captain Burt E. Skeel
-Biography:He was born on May 5, 1894 in East Cleveland, Ohio, to Frank E. and Artemisia Edgerton Skeel.Skeel commanded the 27th Pursuit Squadron of the First Pursuit Group at Selfridge Field in Mount Clemens, Michigan....
, commander of the 27th Pursuit Squadron, was killed 4 October 1924, in the crash of a Verville-Sperry R-3 Racer at Wright Field
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base in Greene and Montgomery counties in the state of Ohio. It includes both Wright and Patterson Fields, which were originally Wilbur Wright Field and Fairfield Aviation General Supply Depot. Patterson Field is located approximately...
, Dayton
Dayton, Ohio
Dayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...
, Ohio, at the start of Pulitzer Trophy event of the 1924 Races.
The group changed aircraft frequently during its service between wars, as new types were developed and older models became outdated. It began its service flying Curtiss JNS
Curtiss JN-4
The Curtiss JN-4 "Jenny" was one of a series of "JN" biplanes built by the Curtiss Aeroplane Company of Hammondsport, New York, later the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company. Although the Curtiss JN series was originally produced as a training aircraft for the U.S...
, SE-5
Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5
The Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5 was a British biplane fighter aircraft of the First World War. Although the first examples reached the Western Front before the Sopwith Camel and it had a much better overall performance, problems with its Hispano-Suiza engine, particularly the geared-output H-S...
, and Fokker D.7
Fokker D.VII
The Fokker D.VII was a German World War I fighter aircraft designed by Reinhold Platz of the Fokker-Flugzeugwerke. Germany produced around 3,300 D.VII aircraft in the summer and autumn of 1918. In service, the D.VII quickly proved itself to be a formidable aircraft...
fighters left over from the First World War. From 1922 to 1925 it operated primarily MB-3A fighters. In 1925 it acquired Curtiss PW-8s for use by the 17th Pursuit Squadron, in 1926 Curtiss P-1 Hawks (a derivative of the PW-8), and in 1929 Boeing P-12
Boeing P-12
The Boeing P-12 or F4B was an American pursuit aircraft that was operated by the United States Army Air Corps and United States Navy.-Design and development:...
s. Throughout this period each squadron often operated a different fighter type from the others.
Winter flying was conducted each February at Camp Skeel at Oscoda
Oscoda, Michigan
Oscoda is an unincorporated community in the U.S. state of Michigan located on the northern side of the Au Sable River where it enters Lake Huron. The community of Au Sable is on the other side of the river. Oscoda is in Oscoda Township in Iosco County, and not in Oscoda County, which is to the...
, Michigan, although in January 1927 the group instead sent a detachment to Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, Ontario; in January 1929 conducted a lengthy search and rescue operation for a missing person in Petoskey
Petoskey, Michigan
Petoskey is a city and coastal resort community in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 6,080. It is the county seat of Emmet County....
, Michigan; and in January 1930 flew a squadron to Spokane
Spokane, Washington
Spokane is a city located in the Northwestern United States in the state of Washington. It is the largest city of Spokane County of which it is also the county seat, and the metropolitan center of the Inland Northwest region...
, Washington and back by way of North Dakota
North Dakota
North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....
and Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
. Temperatures during the Petoskey rescue reached −30 °F, disabling the aircraft engines. A local cement company extended a steam
Steam
Steam is the technical term for water vapor, the gaseous phase of water, which is formed when water boils. In common language it is often used to refer to the visible mist of water droplets formed as this water vapor condenses in the presence of cooler air...
hose to thaw engine oil and other components, enabling the aircraft to operate.
The use of airpower demonstrations and participation in the dedication of civil airports to publicize the Air Corps reached its peak in 1929, when units of the 1st Pursuit Group participated in 24 airport dedications and 8 demonstrations. It garnered favorable publicity in other ways, however, using bombs to break up an ice jam on the Clinton River
Clinton River
The Clinton River is a river in southeastern Michigan in the United States.The main branch of the river rises from wetlands in Springfield Township, Oakland County, northwest of Pontiac. A series of dams create a number of small lakes west of Pontiac, the last of which is Dawson's Millpond. The...
on 24 February 1925, and escorting Charles Lindbergh
Charles Lindbergh
Charles Augustus Lindbergh was an American aviator, author, inventor, explorer, and social activist.Lindbergh, a 25-year-old U.S...
to Canada in 1927.
On 21 January 1924, the Adjutant General
Adjutant general
An Adjutant General is a military chief administrative officer.-Imperial Russia:In Imperial Russia, the General-Adjutant was a Court officer, who was usually an army general. He served as a personal aide to the Tsar and hence was a member of the H. I. M. Retinue...
approved the 1st Pursuit Group's emblem, designed with the unit's history as its basis. The green and black colors represent the colors of the Army Air Service, the five stripes signify the original five flying squadrons, and the five crosses symbolized the five major World War I campaigns credited to the group. A crest above the shield bore the Group's Latin motto "Aut Vincere Aut Mori", translated: Conquer or Die. In 1957, the emblem was revised, with the crest was removed and the motto placed in a scroll beneath the shield, now assigned to the 1st Tactical Fighter Wing.
Army Air Corps service
The Air Corps Act of 1926, passed in part due to the controversies involving William Mitchell and in part to the recommendations of the Morrow Board, replaced the Air Service with the U.S. Army Air Corps. The Act authorized a 5-year plan for expansion and modernization of the Air Corps, still consisting of the original 6 groups, with the 1st the only pursuit group.Resistance by the Coolidge
Calvin Coolidge
John Calvin Coolidge, Jr. was the 30th President of the United States . A Republican lawyer from Vermont, Coolidge worked his way up the ladder of Massachusetts state politics, eventually becoming governor of that state...
administration to implementation of the plan for economic reasons, followed by the onset of the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
severely limited the expansion. The 1st Group experienced restriction on its training operations and curtailment of personnel salaries. Officers were detached for duty with the Civilian Conservation Corps
Civilian Conservation Corps
The Civilian Conservation Corps was a public work relief program that operated from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men from relief families, ages 18–25. A part of the New Deal of President Franklin D...
at varied intervals. However the Air Corps was able to expand from 6 to 14 groups in its first decade of existence, half of which were new pursuit groups. The 1st Pursuit Group trained individual squadrons at Selfridge and provided experienced cadres to the formation of these groups.
From February to June 1934 the 1st Pursuit Group delivered the mail in the north central United States under an executive order of President Franklin Roosevelt (see Air Mail scandal
Air Mail Scandal
The Air Mail scandal, also known as the Air Mail fiasco, is the name that the American press gave to the political scandal resulting from a congressional investigation of a 1930 meeting , between Postmaster General Walter Folger Brown and the executives of the top airlines, and to the disastrous...
). Original orders called for 35 pilots and 16 aircraft to be detached for mail service, but the Curtiss P-6 Hawk and Boeing P-12
Boeing P-12
The Boeing P-12 or F4B was an American pursuit aircraft that was operated by the United States Army Air Corps and United States Navy.-Design and development:...
fighters detailed had insufficient cargo capacity potential. Ultimately 56 pilots were listed in group records as detached for mail service, and approximately half the group's 70 aircraft were involved. Six were involved in crashes in the first week, struggling through severe winter weather in Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, including one fatality on the first day. Altogether twelve aircraft were lost in eleven crashes, with one pilot and one enlisted man killed, and four pilots and one mechanic injured.
On 1 March 1935, all operational flying units, previously assigned to corps-level ground commands, were consolidated under a new centralized air force command named General Headquarters, Air Force. GHQ Air Force was divided into three wings, and the 1st Pursuit Group became part of the 2nd Wing.
In 1937 the group received its first enclosed cockpit, monoplane
Monoplane
A monoplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with one main set of wing surfaces, in contrast to a biplane or triplane. Since the late 1930s it has been the most common form for a fixed wing aircraft.-Types of monoplane:...
fighter with retractable landing gear, the Seversky P-35
Seversky P-35
The Seversky P-35 was a fighter aircraft built in the United States by the Seversky Aircraft Company in the late 1930s. A contemporary of the Hawker Hurricane and Messerschmitt Bf 109, the P-35 was the first single-seat fighter in U.S...
. The P-35 was obsolete from the beginning of its operational history and replacement by the Republic P-43 Lancer began in 1940. This fighter too was unsuitable for modern combat, and preparations for the possibility of U.S. participation in the Second World War introduced the 1st Pursuit Group to the new P-38 Lightning
P-38 Lightning
The Lockheed P-38 Lightning was a World War II American fighter aircraft built by Lockheed. Developed to a United States Army Air Corps requirement, the P-38 had distinctive twin booms and a single, central nacelle containing the cockpit and armament...
in July 1941, with the 27th Pursuit Squadron
27th Fighter Squadron
The 27th Fighter Squadron ' is a United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the 1st Operations Group and stationed at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia....
receiving the first operational aircraft in the Army Air Force's inventory.
1st Pursuit Group Commanders
| Commander | date |
| Lt.Col. Davenport Johnson | 22 August 1919 – 26 April 1920 |
| Major Reed M. Chambers | 26 April 1920 – 29 June 1920 |
| Capt. Arthur R. Brooks | 29 June 1920 – 5 October 1920 |
| Major Carl Spaatz Carl Spaatz Carl Andrew "Tooey" Spaatz GBE was an American World War II general and the first Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force. He was of German descent.-Early life:... |
5 October 1921 – 25 April 1921 |
| Capt. Arthur R. Brooks | 25 April 1921 – 21 December 1921 |
| Major Carl Spaatz Carl Spaatz Carl Andrew "Tooey" Spaatz GBE was an American World War II general and the first Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force. He was of German descent.-Early life:... |
21 December 1921 – September 1924 |
| Major Thomas G. Lanphier, Sr. | September 1924 – 4 February 1926 |
| Capt. Vincent B. Dixon | 4 February 1926 – 26 June 1926 |
| Major Thomas G. Lanphier, Sr. | 26 June 1926 – 25 August 1928 |
| Major Ralph Royce Ralph Royce Ralph Royce was a United States Army Air Forces general during World War II. A West Point graduate who learned to fly in 1915–16, he served with the 1st Aero Squadron in the Pancho Villa Expedition and later led it on the Western Front... |
25 August 1928 – 15 May 1930 |
| Major Gerald E. Brower | 15 May 1930 – 18 July 1932 |
| Major Adlai H. Gilkerson | 18 July 1932 – 4 July 1933 |
| Lt.Col. Frank M. Andrews | 4 July 1933 – 4 October 1934 |
| Lt.Col. Ralph Royce | 4 October 1934 – 30 April 1937 |
| Major Edwin J. House | 30 April 1937 |
| Col. Henry B. Clagett | 1938 |
| Col. Lawrence P. Hickey | 1939 |
| Lt.Col. Robert S. Israel | July 1941 – June 1942 |
1st Fighter Group in World War II
El Paso
El Paso, a city in the U.S. state of Texas, on the border with Mexico.El Paso may also refer to:-Geography:Colombia:* El Paso, CesarSpain:*El Paso, Santa Cruz de TenerifeUnited States:...
, Texas, its 20 P-38s en route from Selfridge Field to March Field, California. The 27th and 71st squadrons were immediately sent with an additional 12 P-38s and 24 P-43 fighters to March Field to provide the West Coast air defense against Japanese attack.
During its brief duty at March Field the Group provided cadre for newly-mobilized fighter groups, losing over half of its assigned officers and enlisted men, but still made preparations for deployment to Europe on 25 April 1942. Before its departure, however, retired captain Eddie Rickenbacker made the first of several visits to the group both at home and abroad during World War II, listened to the Group’s concerns and reported them to General "Hap" Arnold
Henry H. Arnold
Henry Harley "Hap" Arnold was an American general officer holding the grades of General of the Army and later General of the Air Force. Arnold was an aviation pioneer, Chief of the Air Corps , Commanding General of the U.S...
. Rickenbacker also worked with Arnold to reinstate the hat-in-the ring emblem, absent since Rickenbacker himself claimed the right to it when he retired, back to the 94th Fighter Squadron.
In 1942, U.S. war policy placed first priority with the war in Europe. VIII Fighter Command
VIII Fighter Command
The VIII Fighter Command is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the United States Air Forces in Europe, being stationed at RAF Honington, England. It was inactivated on 20 March 1946....
Special Orders 46, dated 25 June 1942, deployed 86 aircraft and pilots of the newly designated 1st Fighter Group to England as part of Operation Bolero
Operation Bolero
Operation Bolero was the commonly used reference for the code name of the United States military troop buildup in Great Britain during World War II in preparation for the initial cross-channel invasion plan known as Operation Roundup...
, with the first aircraft departing on 27 June. Flights of P-38s were led by individual B-17s from the 97th Bomb Group navigating the route between Presque Isle
Presque Isle, Maine
Presque Isle is the commercial center and largest city in the sparsely populated Aroostook County, Maine, United States. The population was 9,692 at the 2010 census...
, Maine, Labrador
Labrador
Labrador is the distinct, northerly region of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It comprises the mainland portion of the province, separated from the island of Newfoundland by the Strait of Belle Isle...
, Greenland
Greenland
Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...
and Iceland. En route the 27th Fighter Squadron was detached at "Indigo" airfield, Reykjavík
Reykjavík
Reykjavík is the capital and largest city in Iceland.Its latitude at 64°08' N makes it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói Bay...
, Iceland, for air defense duty in July and August. On 15 July 1942, six fighters from the 94th FS, "Tomcat Yellow" and "Tomcat Green", and their two B-17 escorts were forced by bad weather and low fuel to land on a glacier
Glacier
A glacier is a large persistent body of ice that forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. At least 0.1 km² in area and 50 m thick, but often much larger, a glacier slowly deforms and flows due to stresses induced by its weight...
in Greenland. The crews were all recovered safely but the aircraft were abandoned.
Group headquarters and the 71st Fighter Squadron were based at RAF Goxill, near Kingston upon Hull
Kingston upon Hull
Kingston upon Hull , usually referred to as Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary, 25 miles inland from the North Sea. Hull has a resident population of...
, and the 94th FS at Kirton in Lindsey
Kirton in Lindsey
Kirton-in-Lindsey, also abbreviated to Kirton Lindsey, is a small town and civil parish in North Lincolnshire, England.-Geography:It is south of Scunthorpe, near the A15 road, and has a total resident population of 2,694....
. The 27th flew to England on 27 August after the group had moved south to Ibsley, and was based at High Ercall
High Ercall
High Ercall, also known in the past as Ercall Magna, is a village in the borough of Telford and Wrekin and ceremonial county of Shropshire, England. The civil parish is still called Ercall Magna, and had a total population of 1,679 at the 2001 census. The parish also includes the villages of...
. During the late summer of 1942, the 1st FG flew training, escort and fighter sweeps over German-occupied France
Military occupation
Military occupation occurs when the control and authority over a territory passes to a hostile army. The territory then becomes occupied territory.-Military occupation and the laws of war:...
. The group experienced its first combat loss on 2 October 1942, when a P-38F escorting B-17 Flying Fortress bombers on a mission to Méaulte
Communes of the Somme département
The following is a list of the 782 communes of the Somme département, in France. Communauté d'agglomération Amiens Métropole, created in 2000....
, France, was shot down by a German fighter of JG 26 near Calais
Calais
Calais is a town in Northern France in the department of Pas-de-Calais, of which it is a sub-prefecture. Although Calais is by far the largest city in Pas-de-Calais, the department's capital is its third-largest city of Arras....
, and 2nd Lt. William H. Young was killed in action
Killed in action
Killed in action is a casualty classification generally used by militaries to describe the deaths of their own forces at the hands of hostile forces. The United States Department of Defense, for example, says that those declared KIA need not have fired their weapons but have been killed due to...
.
The fighter and bomber groups initially deployed to England (97th and 301st Bomb Groups, and 1st, 14th, 31st, and 52nd Fighter Groups) were re-assigned to support Operation Torch
Operation Torch
Operation Torch was the British-American invasion of French North Africa in World War II during the North African Campaign, started on 8 November 1942....
and redeployed to North Africa. While in transit, two 94th FS Lightnings were forced by mechanical difficulties to land in neutral
Neutral country
A neutral power in a particular war is a sovereign state which declares itself to be neutral towards the belligerents. A non-belligerent state does not need to be neutral. The rights and duties of a neutral power are defined in Sections 5 and 13 of the Hague Convention of 1907...
Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, where the aircraft were confiscated and the pilots interned
Internment
Internment is the imprisonment or confinement of people, commonly in large groups, without trial. The Oxford English Dictionary gives the meaning as: "The action of 'interning'; confinement within the limits of a country or place." Most modern usage is about individuals, and there is a distinction...
. However 1st Lt. Jack Ilfrey escaped, returned to the group, and became one of its leading aces. 1st Lt. Robert N. Chenoweth was killed when his P-38, on a ferry flight from the UK to North Africa, crashed into a mountain at Ortigueira
Ortigueira
Ortigueira is a seaport and municipality in the Province of A Coruña, Galicia, Spain; it is located on the northern slope of the Serra da Faladoira, the river Mera and on the eastern shore of the Ria de Santa Marta—a winding, rock-bound and much indented inlet of the Bay of Biscay, between Capes...
, Corunna, Spain, on 15 November 1942. By 13 November 1942, the group completed the move to Algeria, where they provided close air support and fighter protection against the Afrika Korps
Afrika Korps
The German Africa Corps , or the Afrika Korps as it was popularly called, was the German expeditionary force in Libya and Tunisia during the North African Campaign of World War II...
.
On 29 November 1942, the 94th Fighter Squadron
94th Fighter Squadron
The 94th Fighter Squadron ' is a United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the 1st Operations Group and stationed at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia....
flew the group's first combat sorties in the Mediterranean theater, strafing a German airfield and recording several aerial victories. However, as the year came to a close, the group's morale sagged. Though the move from England to the desert environment added sometimes 200–300 hours to the life of the liquid-cooled Allisons, few replacement parts and virtually no replacement aircraft were available. Col. Clifford R. Silliman, in charge of Lightning maintenance and repairs for the 1st, 12th and 14th fighter groups, recalled that no hangars, machine shops or service bays were available, forcing ground crews to make repairs in the open air. Crewmen were exposed not only to attack but to virtually incessant blowing sand and dust that continually fouled filters, breathers and lubricants. The searing sun was so intense that mechanics were unable to as much as touch the aluminum surfaces of the fuselage, wings and cowlings with exposed skin, Silliman said. The grating sand found its way not only into engine components and weapons but crewmens' bedding, footwear, clothing, hair, eyes and even their teeth. Pilots recorded some kills, but the loss ratio in air-to-air combat was even at best. For nearly a year, the group moved throughout Algeria and Tunisia, flying bomber escort and providing air coverage for the ground campaign. On 23 February 1943, the group began two days of low-level strafing missions in support of hard-pressed Allied troops at Kasserine Pass, losing several aircraft.
In April 1943 the Germans made several concerted attempts to reinforce the Afrika Korps using Ju 52 transports flown at wavetop level over the Mediterranean Sea
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
, resulting in a series of interceptions by Allied aircraft and large numbers of transports destroyed. On 5 April, pilots of the 27th FS shot down 11, plus four Ju 87 Stukas and two Me 109 escorts, losing two Lightnings. On 10 April, the 71st FS intercepted another large force escorted by 15 Macchi 200 and Fw 190 fighters, shooting down 20 transports and 8 of the escorts without loss to itself. The North African campaign ended with the capture of Tunis
Tunis
Tunis is the capital of both the Tunisian Republic and the Tunis Governorate. It is Tunisia's largest city, with a population of 728,453 as of 2004; the greater metropolitan area holds some 2,412,500 inhabitants....
on 7 May 1943.
Markings and squadron codes
Military aircraft insignia
Military aircraft insignia are insignia applied to military aircraft to identify the nation or branch of military service to which the aircraft belongs...
was outlined in yellow, replaced by a star-and-bar outlined in red in early 1943. From May 1943 on the standard star-and-bar national insignia was used.
Italian operations
Six months of continuous combat in North Africa was followed by a short break, flying reconnaissance and escort missions around the Mediterranean. The respite ended on 15 August 1943, as air attacks increased against southern Italy in preparation for landings at SalernoSalerno
Salerno is a city and comune in Campania and is the capital of the province of the same name. It is located on the Gulf of Salerno on the Tyrrhenian Sea....
. On 25 August, the 1st FG launched 65 P-38s, and joined with 85 other fighters, conducted a fighter-bomber attack against the airfield complex at Foggia
Foggia Airfield Complex
The Foggia Airfield Complex was a series of World War II military airfields located within a radius of Foggia, in the Province of Foggia, Italy...
. In addition to strafing ground targets, pilots of the 1st FG damaged or destroyed 88 German aircraft, with a loss of two P-38s. For this mission, the group received its first Distinguished Unit Citation (DUC). Five days later, on 30 August, the 1st Fighter Group earned its second DUC. The group flew 44 aircraft in escorting B-26
B-26 Marauder
The Martin B-26 Marauder was a World War II twin-engine medium bomber built by the Glenn L. Martin Company. First used in the Pacific Theater in early 1942, it was also used in the Mediterranean Theater and in Western Europe....
bombers to the railroad marshalling yards at Aversa
Aversa
Aversa is a town and comune in the Province of Caserta in Campania southern Italy, about 15 kilometres north of Naples. It is the centre of an agricultural district, the agro aversano, producing wine and cheese...
, Italy, and were opposed by approximately 75–100 German fighters. Outnumbered two to one, the group engaged the Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
for 40 minutes, enabling the bombers to strike their target and return to base without loss, but in doing so lost 13 fighters themselves, with 10 pilots killed.
The 1st Fighter Group became part of the newly-created Fifteenth Air Force
Fifteenth Air Force
The Fifteenth Expeditionary Mobility Task Force is one of two EMTFs assigned to the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command . It is headquartered at Travis Air Force Base, California....
in December 1943 and moved to Italy, temporarily based at several airfields until its base at Salsola Airfield was ready on 8 January 1944. Living and supply conditions improved for the airmen, who received new P-38Js in the spring. On 16 April 1944, the group flew its 1,000th combat mission.
The 1st Fighter Group received its third DUC for an escort mission on 18 May 1944. Assigned to escort the force of 700 B-17 and B-24 bombers to the oil refineries at Ploieşti
Ploiesti
Ploiești is the county seat of Prahova County and lies in the historical region of Wallachia in Romania. The city is located north of Bucharest....
, Romania, bad weather caused roughly half the bombers to abort the mission. The 1st Fighter Group continued through the heavy weather to support B-17s that continued to the target and engaged 80 Luftwaffe and Romanian fighters attacking the Flying Fortresses. The group's 48 P-38s shot down and damaged nearly 20 aircraft for a loss of one P-38, and drove off the rest.
The minimal effect of high altitude bombing raids on the Ploieşti refineries prompted Fifteenth Air Force planners on 10 June 1944, to lay on a low level dive bombing attack by 48 P-38s of the 82nd Fighter Group and 45 of 1st FG. Mechanical turnbacks reduced the force by 21 aircraft, nine from the 1st Group. En route to the target much of the 1st FG was separated from the main force by a navigational error. Part of the 71st Fighter Squadron observed and attacked 6 Dornier 217 bombers but underestimated the numbers of Romanian IAR 80
IAR 80
The IAR 80 was a Romanian World War II low-wing, monoplane, all-metal construction fighter aircraft and ground-attack aircraft. When it first flew, in 1939, it was comparable to most contemporary designs like the German Bf 109E, the British Hawker Hurricane, and the Supermarine Spitfire...
s escorting the bombers. Although six fighters and two bombers were credited as shot down, the 71st lost 9 Lightnings. When the 82nd FG arrived in the target area, along with the 27th Fighter Squadron and one flight of the 71st, they found the Ploieşti defense forces fully alert and a protective smoke screen concealing the targets. Flak shot down 7 P-38s during the attack, and 2 more were lost in strafing
Strafing
Strafing is the practice of attacking ground targets from low-flying aircraft using aircraft-mounted automatic weapons. This means, that although ground attack using automatic weapons fire is very often accompanied with bombing or rocket fire, the term "strafing" does not specifically include the...
attacks on the return to Italy. After the attack, the 27th Fighter Squadron engaged 30–40 Me 109s, claiming 4 destroyed, 2 probables, and 4 damaged, but lost 4 P-38s in the engagement. In all, the 1st Fighter Group had 14 P-38s shot down, its heaviest single day loss of the war, while claiming 18 kills, including five by a 71st pilot, 1st Lt. Herbert Hatch. The 82nd FG lost an additional 8 Lightnings.
From 10 to 21 August 1944, the 94th Fighter Squadron deployed sixty Lightnings to Aghione
Aghione
Aghione is a commune in the Haute-Corse department of France on the island of Corsica.-Geography:Aghion is located on the eastern plains, west of Aleria. The municipality is watered by the Tagnon, a tributary of Tavignano, which separates an area of hills to the north and a plain, most important...
, Corsica, providing air support for the Allied invasion of Southern France
Operation Dragoon
Operation Dragoon was the Allied invasion of southern France on August 15, 1944, during World War II. The invasion was initiated via a parachute drop by the 1st Airborne Task Force, followed by an amphibious assault by elements of the U.S. Seventh Army, followed a day later by a force made up...
. On an escort of a photo reconnaissance mission to Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
on 26 November 1944, the group lost an aircraft and pilot to an Me 262 jet.
The group's last major operation of the war came between 16 January and 19 February 1945. Under Operation Argonaut, the 1st FG escorted British and American delegations to the Yalta Conference
Yalta Conference
The Yalta Conference, sometimes called the Crimea Conference and codenamed the Argonaut Conference, held February 4–11, 1945, was the wartime meeting of the heads of government of the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Soviet Union, represented by President Franklin D...
, deploying 51 P-38's to protect the ships and aircraft carrying President Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
, Prime Minister Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
, and their aides to and from the Crimea
Crimea
Crimea , or the Autonomous Republic of Crimea , is a sub-national unit, an autonomous republic, of Ukraine. It is located on the northern coast of the Black Sea, occupying a peninsula of the same name...
. The group changed bases shortly after its return to combat operations, moving to Lesina
Foggia Airfield Complex
The Foggia Airfield Complex was a series of World War II military airfields located within a radius of Foggia, in the Province of Foggia, Italy...
. There the 1st Fighter Group received two YP-80A jet fighters (serials 44-83028 and 44-83029) sent to the theater for operational testing ("Project Extraversion"). Although the jets were marked for combat operations with easily identifiable tail stripes and the letters 'A' and 'B' on their noses, and flown on two operational sorties by the 94th FS, neither saw combat before the end of the war.
On 15 April 1945, the 27th Fighter Squadron
27th Fighter Squadron
The 27th Fighter Squadron ' is a United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the 1st Operations Group and stationed at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia....
, which had scored the 1st Fighter Group's first kill of the war, also recorded the group's last aerial victory of World War II, during a mission in which 5 Lightnings were shot down strafing German airfields, with 4 pilots killed. Its final combat losses occurred on 23 April 1945, when three aircraft were shot down and a pilot, Capt. Clarence I. Knapp, killed in action.
During nearly three years of combat flying, from 31 August 1942, to 6 May 1945, the 1st Fighter Group flew over 21,000 sorties on 1,405 combat missions.
Aerial victories
The first aerial victory by a 1st Fighter Group pilot (and the first USAAF kill in the European Theater of OperationsEuropean Theater of Operations
The European Theater of Operations, United States Army was a United States Army formation which directed U.S. Army operations in parts of Europe from 1942 to 1945. It referred to Army Ground Forces, United States Army Air Forces, and Army Service Forces operations north of Italy and the...
) occurred 14 August 1942, by a 27th Fighter Squadron pilot, 2nd Lt. Elza E. Shahan, stationed in Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
, with the downing of an Fw 200C-3 Condor
Focke-Wulf Fw 200
The Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor, also known as Kurier to the Allies was a German all-metal four-engine monoplane originally developed by Focke-Wulf as a long-range airliner...
, a credit shared with a P-40C pilot of the 33rd Fighter Squadron. The final victory occurred 15 April 1945, by 1st Lt. Warren E. Danielson, also of the 27th Fighter Squadron, shooting down an Fw 190 near Regensburg
Regensburg
Regensburg is a city in Bavaria, Germany, located at the confluence of the Danube and Regen rivers, at the northernmost bend in the Danube. To the east lies the Bavarian Forest. Regensburg is the capital of the Bavarian administrative region Upper Palatinate...
.
The 1st Fighter Group had 402.5 claims credited for German aircraft destroyed in air-to-air combat recognized by U.S. Air Force Historical Study No. 85, with 17 pilots identified as aces. Among the various units of the 1st, the 27th Fighter Squadron had the most victories, with 83 pilots credited with 176.5 kills. The 94th Fighter Squadron was credited with 124 kills by 64 pilots and the 71st Fighter Squadron with 102 kills by 51 pilots.
The uneven distribution of kills among the squadrons is an apparent reflection of an unequal degree of contact with German fighter units after June 1944, almost all of which occurred in July 1944. Of the last 38 kills awarded to the 1st Fighter Group, 30 were by the 27th FS (24 in July, 2 in August 1944, and 4 in 1945). The 71st FS recorded only four, with the last occurring 21 October 1944, while the 94th recorded four in July 1944 and none thereafter.
Aces of the 1st Fighter Group
| Pilot | Squadron | Credits | Aircraft flown |
| Capt. Thomas E. Maloney | 27th Fighter Squadron | 8 | Maloney's Pony |
| 1st Lt. Philip E. Tovrea, Jr. | 27th Fighter Squadron | 8 | La Muñeca Plata |
| 1st Lt. Jack M. Ilfrey¹ | 94th Fighter Squadron | 7.5 | Texas Terror |
| 1st Lt. Meldrum L. Sears | 71st Fighter Squadron | 7 | |
| Capt. Armour C. Miller | 27th Fighter Squadron | 6 | Jinx serial no. 43-2872 |
| 1st Lt. Donald D. Kienholz | 94th Fighter Squadron | 6 | Billy Joe/ Bar Fly/serial number:42-13460 |
| Capt. Darrell G. Welch | 27th Fighter Squadron | 5 | Sky Ranger |
| Capt. Newell O. Roberts | 94th Fighter Squadron | 5 | |
| Capt. Joel Owens | 27th Fighter Squadron | 5 | |
| 1st Lt. Daniel Kennedy | 27th Fighter Squadron | 5 | Beantown Boys |
| 1st Lt. John L. Wolford² | 27th Fighter Squadron | 5 | |
| 1st Lt. Rodney W. Fisher | 71st Fighter Squadron | 5 | |
| 1st Lt. Lee V. Wiseman | 71st Fighter Squadron | 5 | Spurly |
| 1st Lt. Richard J. Lee | 94th Fighter Squadron | 5 | |
| 1st Lt. Everett Miller | 94th Fighter Squadron | 5 | Martha J |
| 2nd Lt. John A. MacKay | 27th Fighter Squadron | 5 | Shoot, You're Faded Craps Craps is a dice game in which players place wagers on the outcome of the roll, or a series of rolls, of a pair of dice. Players may wager money against each other or a bank... |
| 2nd Lt. Herbert B. Hatch | 71st Fighter Squadron | 5 | Mon Amy |
| 2nd Lt. Franklin C. Lathrope | 94th Fighter Squadron | 5 |
¹Scored two more victories with another group. ²Killed in action.
Source: Air Force Historical Study 85: USAF Credits for the Destruction of Enemy Aircraft, World War II. Lt. Shahan's kill is documented in Air Force Historical Study 105: Air Phase of the North African Invasion, November 1942, p. 34.
Bases and casualties
European-African bases of the 1st Fighter Group| Location | date |
| RAF Goxhill RAF Goxhill RAF Goxhill is a former Royal Air Force and United States Army Air Force station in England. It is located just to the east of the village of Goxhill, on the south bank of the Humber estuary, opposite the city of Kingston upon Hull, in north Lincolnshire.... , England |
10 June 1942 |
| RAF Ibsley RAF Ibsley RAF Station Ibsley is a former World War II airfield in Hampshire, England. The airfield is located near the village of Ibsley, approximately north of Ringwood; about southwest of London... , England |
24 August 1942 |
| Tafaraoui Oran Oran is a major city on the northwestern Mediterranean coast of Algeria, and the second largest city of the country.It is the capital of the Oran Province . The city has a population of 759,645 , while the metropolitan area has a population of approximately 1,500,000, making it the second largest... , Algeria |
13 November 1942 |
| Nouvion Mostaganem Mostaganem is a port city in and capital of Mostaganem province, in the northwest of Algeria. The city, founded in the 11th century lies on the Gulf of Arzew, Mediterranean Sea and is 72 km ENE of Oran... , Algeria |
20 November 1942 |
| Biskra Biskra Biskra is the capital city of Biskra province, Algeria. In 2007, its population was recorded as 207,987.During Roman times the town was called Vescera, though this may have been simply a Latin transliteration of the native name. Around 200 AD under Septimius Severus' reign, it was seized by the... , Algeria |
14 December 1942 |
| Chateau d'un-du-Rhumel Constantine, Algeria Constantine is the capital of Constantine Province in north-eastern Algeria. It was the capital of the same-named French département until 1962. Slightly inland, it is about 80 kilometres from the Mediterranean coast, on the banks of Rhumel river... , Algeria |
February 1943 |
| Mateur Mateur Mateur is a town in northern Tunisia. It is located at around , close to the Lac Ichkeul National Park.- Overview :Located in the southwest of the governorate of Bizerte, Mateur is the county seat of a delegation of 57,562 inhabitants while its town counts 44,345 inhabitants divided in 8315... , Tunisia |
29 June 1943 |
| Cagliari Cagliari Cagliari is the capital of the island of Sardinia, a region of Italy. Cagliari's Sardinian name Casteddu literally means castle. It has about 156,000 inhabitants, or about 480,000 including the outlying townships : Elmas, Assemini, Capoterra, Selargius, Sestu, Monserrato, Quartucciu, Quartu... , Sardinia |
31 October 1943 |
| Gioia del Colle Gioia del Colle Gioia del Colle is a town and comune in the province of Bari, Apulia, Italy. The town is located on the Murge plateau at 360 metres above sea level.- History :... , Italy |
8 December 1943 |
| Salsola (Foggia#3 airfield) Foggia Foggia is a city and comune of Apulia, Italy, capital of the province of Foggia. Foggia is the main city of a plain called Tavoliere, also known as the "granary of Italy".-History:... , Italy |
8 January 1944 |
| Vincenzo Foggia Airfield Complex The Foggia Airfield Complex was a series of World War II military airfields located within a radius of Foggia, in the Province of Foggia, Italy... , Italy |
8 January 1945 |
| Salsola, Italy | 21 February 1945 |
| Lesina Foggia Airfield Complex The Foggia Airfield Complex was a series of World War II military airfields located within a radius of Foggia, in the Province of Foggia, Italy... , Italy |
16 March – October 1945 |
SOURCE: Maurer Mauer
| 1st FG combat losses | |
|---|---|
| 171 | P-38's lost in combat |
| 102 | Pilots killed in action Killed in action Killed in action is a casualty classification generally used by militaries to describe the deaths of their own forces at the hands of hostile forces. The United States Department of Defense, for example, says that those declared KIA need not have fired their weapons but have been killed due to... |
| 4 | Pilots missing in action Missing in action Missing in action is a casualty Category assigned under the Status of Missing to armed services personnel who are reported missing during active service. They may have been killed, wounded, become a prisoner of war, or deserted. If deceased, neither their remains nor grave can be positively... |
| 35 | Pilots captured Prisoner of war A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict... |
USAAF commanders
| Commander | date |
| Maj John O Zahn | 1 May 1942 |
| Col John N Stone | 9 Jul 1942 |
| Col Ralph S Garman | 7 Dec 1942 |
| Maj Joseph S Peddie | 8 Sep 1943 |
| Col Robert B Richard | 19 Sep 1943 |
| Col Arthur C Agan Jr | 15 Nov 1944 |
| Lt Col Milton H Ashkins | 31 Mar 1945 |
| Lt Col Charles W Thaxton | 11 Apr 1945 |
| Col Milton H Ashkins | 28 Apr 1945-unkn. |
| Col Bruce K. Holloway Bruce K. Holloway General Bruce Keener Holloway was an American Air Force general. A West Point graduate, he was a World War II fighter ace and later the commander in chief of the Strategic Air Command .-Early life and career:... |
3 Jul 1946 |
| Col Gilbert L Meyers | 20 Aug 1946 |
Campaigns
 World War I:
|
World War II:
|
Honors
Distinguished Unit Citation
- Italy, 25 August 1943
- Italy, 30 August 1943
- Ploesti, 18 May 1944
Post-war air defense role
P-80 Shooting Star
The Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star was the first jet fighter used operationally by the United States Army Air Forces. Designed in 1943 as a response to the German Messerschmitt Me-262 jet fighter, and delivered in just 143 days from the start of the design process, production models were flying but...
-equipped 412th Fighter Group at March Field, California, on 3 July 1946.
The Air Force became an independent service on 18 September 1947, and the 1st Fighter Group part of the newly created 1st Fighter Wing
1st Fighter Wing
The 1st Fighter Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Combat Command Ninth Air Force. It is stationed at Langley Air Force Base, Va...
. (See 1st Fighter Wing
1st Fighter Wing
The 1st Fighter Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Combat Command Ninth Air Force. It is stationed at Langley Air Force Base, Va...
for command assignments.) During the summer of 1947, the Army Air Force issued the "Wing-Base" plan, creating a self-sufficient wing at each base. As a result, on 15 August 1947, the 1st Fighter Wing was activated at March Field, California, and the 1st Fighter Group was assigned as its combat group. Administrative, maintenance and support, and medical functions were the responsibility of separate support groups.
When the 1st Fighter Wing was re-equipped with F-86 fighters in 1949 the group was re-designated 1st Fighter-Interceptor Group. In January 1950, while stationed at George Air Force Base
George Air Force Base
George Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force base located within city limits, 8 miles northwest of central Victorville, California, about 75 miles northeast of Los Angeles, California. The facility was closed by the Base Realignment and Closure 1992 commission at the end of the Cold...
, California, the 1st Group formed an aerial demonstration team, the "Sabre Dancers." The team, composed of five pilots of the 27th Fighter Squadron, flew their most distinguished show on 22 April 1950, at Eglin Air Force Base
Eglin Air Force Base
Eglin Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately 3 miles southwest of Valparaiso, Florida in Okaloosa County....
, Florida, for an audience that included President Harry S Truman.
During the Korean War, the 1st Group served in an air defense role while the Wing's elements divided to provide defense for both coasts. The 1st FIG Headquarters, and the 27th and 71st Fighter Interceptor Squadrons were temporarily detached to the Eastern Air Defense Force, while the Wing headquarters and the 94th Fighter Interceptor Squadron were assigned as part the Western Air Defense Force. The group was inactivated on 6 February 1952, in a general reorganization of all air force units and its squadrons assigned directly to the wing.
On 18 August 1955, the group's designation was changed to 1st Fighter Group (Air Defense) and it was re-activated as part of the Air Defense Command. Equipped first with F-86 Sabre
F-86 Sabre
The North American F-86 Sabre was a transonic jet fighter aircraft. Produced by North American Aviation, the Sabre is best known as America's first swept wing fighter which could counter the similarly-winged Soviet MiG-15 in high speed dogfights over the skies of the Korean War...
fighters, the group transitioned to F-102 Delta Dagger
F-102 Delta Dagger
The Convair F-102 Delta Dagger was a US interceptor aircraft built as part of the backbone of the United States Air Force's air defenses in the late 1950s. Entering service in 1956, its main purpose was to intercept invading Soviet bomber fleets...
aircraft. It served as part of the 30th Air Division and the Detroit Air Defense Sector
Detroit Air Defense Sector
The Detroit Air Defense Sector is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the Air Defense Command 26th Air Division, being stationed at Custer Air Force Station, Michigan...
, based at Selfridge Air Force Base, before being re-assigned as part of the 1st Fighter Wing and inactivated on 1 February 1961.
USAF commanders 1948–1961
| Commander | date |
| Col Frank S Perego | Jan 1948 |
| LtCol Jack T Bradley | Jul 1950 |
| Col Dolf E Muehleisen | Jun 1951 |
| Col Walker M Mahurin | 1951 |
| Capt Robert B Bell | Jan-c. Feb 1952 |
| Col Norman S Orwat | 1955– |
1st Operations Group
F-15 Eagle
The McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is a twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter designed by McDonnell Douglas to gain and maintain air superiority in aerial combat. It is considered among the most successful modern fighters with over 100 aerial combat victories with no losses in dogfights...
and operations support squadrons at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
.
On 15 March 1992, the 74th Air Control Squadron was transferred to the 1st Fighter Wing to provided command and control of air operations during deployments. On 1 February 1993, the 41st and 71st Rescue Squadrons, and the 741st Maintenance Squadron were also assigned to the 1st Fighter Wing. Stationed at Patrick AFB, Florida, the units provided search and rescue for NASA's space shuttle missions, and support of combat search and rescue operations in Southwest Asia. Additionally, C-21 operational support aircraft were assigned to the Wing on 1 April 1993, with the establishment of Detachment 1, 1st Operations Group. On 1 May, the detachment inactivated and the 12th Airlift Flight, with the same mission, activated.
On 14 June 1995, the 1st Rescue Group was activated as part of the 1st Fighter Wing and assumed operational control of the Search and Rescue organizations. On 1 April 1997, the 12th Airlift Flight was transferred to Air Mobility Command
Air Mobility Command
Air Mobility Command is a Major Command of the U.S. Air Force. AMC is headquartered at Scott AFB, Illinois, east of St. Louis....
, leaving the group tasked with only fighter and air control operations.
In 2003 the 27th and 94th FS began transition to the F-22 Raptor
F-22 Raptor
The Lockheed Martin/Boeing F-22 Raptor is a single-seat, twin-engine fifth-generation supermaneuverable fighter aircraft that uses stealth technology. It was designed primarily as an air superiority fighter, but has additional capabilities that include ground attack, electronic warfare, and signals...
, with the 94th FS reaching full operational status on 16 December 2005. Both the 27th FS and the 149th FS of the Virginia Air National Guard's 192nd Fighter Wing
192d Fighter Wing
The United States Air Force's 192d Fighter Wing is a fighter organization of the Virginia Air National Guard located at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia.-Mission:...
(integrated with the 1st Fighter Wing in operating and maintaining the 1st FW's forty F-22's) were declared fully operational by Air Combat Command
Air Combat Command
Air Combat Command is a major command of the United States Air Force. ACC is one of ten major commands , reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force ....
on 15 December 2007.
1st Operations Group commanders
| Commander | date |
| Col Robert A. Corson | 1 Oct 1991 |
| Col Michael M. Dunn | 20 Jul 1992 |
| Col John P. Marty | 3 Jun 1993 |
| Col Daniel P. Leaf Daniel P. Leaf Lieutenant General, USAF, Retired, Daniel P. Leaf was Deputy Commander and Acting Commander, U.S. Pacific Command, Camp H. M. Smith, Hawaii. He is currently working as the Vice President for Full Spectrum Initiatives in the Northrop Grumman Information Systems Defense Systems Division. He is a... |
26 May 1994 |
| Col William K. Davis | 30 Jun 1995 |
| Col Felix Dupre | 27 Oct 1995 (additional duty) |
| Lt Col Stephen R. Brown | 25 Mar 1996 (temporary) |
| Col Irving L. Halter Jr. | 28 Jun 1996 |
| Col Herbert J. Carlisle | 12 Jun 1998 |
| Col John Day | Mar 2000 (temporary) |
| Col Stanley Kresge | 12 May 2000 |
| Col Tod D. Wolters | 17 May 2002 |
| Col. Thomas Bergeson | 12 June 2004 |
| Col. Patrick Marshall |
Honors
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
- 1 May 1992 to 30 April 1994
- 1 June 1995 to 31 May 1997
- 1 June 1998 to 31 May 2000
- 1 June 2000 to 31 May 2001
1st FG P-38 on exhibit
The P-38 was subsequently restored to flying condition over the next ten years, dubbed Glacier Girl
Glacier Girl
Glacier Girl is a Lockheed P-38F-1-LO Lightning World War II fighter plane, 41-7630, c/n 222-5757, that was restored to flying condition after being buried beneath the ice of the remote Greenland Ice Sheet for over 50 years.- History :...
by its new owner, the Lost Squadron Museum, and flown on 26 October 2002. The P-38 (civil aviation number N17663) was stored at the museum's location in Middlesboro, Kentucky, until its sale to a private individual. A scale model
Scale model
A scale model is a physical model, a representation or copy of an object that is larger or smaller than the actual size of the object, which seeks to maintain the relative proportions of the physical size of the original object. Very often the scale model is used as a guide to making the object in...
kit of Glacier Girl was released by Academy Plastic Model Co.
Academy Plastic Model Co.
Academy Plastic Model Co., Ltd. is a Korean plastic model, chemical, and toy company. It is headquartered in Uijeongbu-Si, Gyeonggi-do, Korea and was established on September 1, 1969. It holds three headquarters in Seoul, Korea; Gelsenkirchen, Germany; and Rosario, Cavite, Philippines...
-Model Rectifier Corporation (Kit No. 12208) in July 2006.
External links
- 1st Fighter Group Website
- 1st Fighter Association
- Lost Squadron website, detailing recovery and restoration of 1st FG P-38F
- P-38 National Association and Museum, "Glacier Girl"
- Goleta Air and Space Museum "virtual" museum with extensive photographs of Glacier Girl
- 1st Pursuit Group overview, history and 90th Anniversary celebration photos at www.usaww1.com
- 1st Pursuit Group interactive Google Map of bases, etc. at www.usaww1.com
- "Fighter Pilot", Ernie Pyle column about 1st Fighter Group ace Jack Ilfrey in North Africa
- The Mysterious YP-80 Shooting Stars in Italy during WW2, Project Extraversion with the 1st FG, photos and text